Hamilton, Alexander

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Hamilton, Alexander

HAMILTON, ALEXANDER. (1757–1804). Continental officer, statesman. British West Indies and New York. The son of a Scottish merchant, James Hamilton, and Rachel Faucett Lavien, Alexander Hamilton was born on Nevis, in the British West Indies, perhaps on 11 January 1757. Hamilton's mother died when he was three and his father deserted him when he was eight, leaving him an apprentice in a merchant house. A Presbyterian clergyman mentored Hamilton and arranged financing for him to attend college in New York.

Hamilton entered King's College (now Columbia) in 1773. He entered rapidly into the world of patriot politics, attending the mass meeting presided over by Alexander McDougall, wherein it was decided to send New York delegates to the first Continental Congress. At the precocious age of seventeen, Hamilton also began speaking to patriot rallies and writing a series of pamphlets highly critical of British policies.

With the commencement of military conflict, Hamilton threw himself into the study of military methods and theory. In 1775 he formed a volunteer artillery company and was commissioned captain of the Provincial Company of New York Artillery on 14 March 1776. The skill with which he commanded his ninety-three gunners won praise from General Nathanael Greene, who is said to have introduced Hamilton to General George Washington. Declining an opportunity to join the staff of General William Alexander (Lord Stirling), he commanded his guns in the battles of Long Island, helped fortify Harlem Heights, and employed two artillery pieces effectively at White Plains. He led his company throughout the New Jersey campaign and saw action at Trenton and Princeton.

On 1 March 1777 he became secretary and aide-de-camp to Washington, who had been impressed by his reputation as a writer and organizer, and desperately needed aides with these qualifications to assist him with military business that went far beyond the command of his little field army. Washington promoted Hamilton to lieutenant colonel. Although Hamilton wrote often of his desire for military glory, he served as Washington's military secretary and close confidant for more than four years.

On 14 December 1780 Hamilton married Elizabeth Schuyler, daughter of General Philip Schuyler, thereby connecting himself with one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in New York. Lest his intentions in this matter be considered mercenary, he appears to have found great happiness in the match. They had eight children. The expansion of the light infantry corps finally gave Hamilton the opportunity he had long sought for—a field command. On 31 July 1781 he was given a battalion in Moses Hazen's Brigade of the Marquis de Lafayette's Division. When an attack on the two redoubts at Yorktown, Pennsylvania, was planned, Hamilton claimed the right to lead one of the columns and acquitted himself with great credit. He was breveted as a colonel on 30 September 1783 and left the service 23 December 1783.

After a year in Congress (1782–1783) he practiced law in New York. In the Annapolis convention of 1786 he drafted the report that led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where he became the advocate of a strong central government. Working hard for ratification of the Constitution, he wrote more than half of the Federalist papers and overcame strong opposition in the New York convention to win a close vote of support for the new Constitution. As the new nation's first secretary of the treasury, from 1789 to 1795, Hamilton was the key member of Washington's cabinet, since finances were the most critical problem facing the country. In establishing the "Hamiltonian system" he became leader of the Federalists, and the bitter opponent of the Democrat-Republicans led by Thomas Jefferson

Hamilton resigned as treasury secretary on 31 January 1795, mainly because he found his salary of $3,500 a year too small. He resumed his law practice, becoming a key figure in the creation of American contract law. He continued to advise Washington, and helped write the famous "Farewell Address." Hamilton attempted to manipulate the election of 1796 to secure a victory for the Federalist vice presidential candidate, Thomas Pinckney. Instead, he not only alienated John Adams, but also accidentally helped to elect Jefferson to the vice presidency. Despite this failure, Hamilton persisted in trying to undermine Adams's presidency, working to control government operations through the secretaries of the State and Treasury Departments.

When the war with France threatened to break out in 1798, Adams, at Washington's insistence, overlooked his personal feelings for Hamilton and commissioned him major general on 25 July with the post of inspector general. Hamilton served until 15 June 1800, apparently disappointed that Adams chose the path of negotiation over war. At that point Hamilton again attempted a callous and foolish political maneuver to replace Adams with the current Federalist vice presidential nominee, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. He again erred badly, insuring the election of his bitter enemy, Thomas Jefferson.

In 1804 Vice President Burr, who had fallen out of favor with Jefferson, ran for governor of New York. Hamilton actively worked to defeat Burr, who lost a close election. Burr blamed Hamilton for his defeat and challenged him to a duel. On the morning of 11 July 1804, Hamilton was mortally wounded, and the next afternoon he died after excruciating suffering.

Although he sought military glory and performed a valuable administrative function as Washington's secretary, Hamilton's greatest service to the United States came in his support of the Constitution and his work as Treasury Secretary. In the latter role, he deserves praise for promoting government support for the nation's economic development.